Thursday was a historic afternoon for both the North Carolina and Syracuse women’s soccer teams.
Not only was the game Syracuse’s first against UNC as a member of the ACC, but it was also the first-ever meeting between the two sides.
Syracuse, coming off a solid 3-0 win against conference opponent Miami, looked to extend its winning streak to two games.
But UNC defeated the Orange 1-0, notching its third straight shutout victory.
The Tar Heels got on the scoreboard early with a goal from sophomore forward Summer Green in the ninth minute of the game. After UNC received a free kick, senior midfielder Kealia Ohai tapped the ball forward for Green, who ran on it and fired a shot from about 20 yards out that curled around the wall and found the top right corner of the net. The goal was Green’s fifth of the season.
UNC’s leading goal scorer Crystal Dunn did not make it in the team’s starting lineup Thursday due to international duties, and played only 58 minutes of the 90-minute game.
She will be on the roster for the U.S. women’s national team in its matchup against Australia on Sunday, and as a result miss UNC’s game against No. 1 ranked Virginia that afternoon.
Even without Dunn for a large portion of the game against Syracuse, the Tar Heels were able to put on one of their strongest defensive performances of the season, dominating possession throughout.
UNC also took 22 shots while not allowing Syracuse to take a single one the entire game. But despite all the scoring opportunities, the Tar Heels were unable to convert any after their first goal.
UNC will look to capitalize on those scoring chances when undefeated Virginia comes to Fetzer Field on Sunday.
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